Sewing-machine feeding mechanism.



A. D. SMITH.

SEWING MACHINE FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED no.7, 1909.

1,107,718. Patented Aug. 18, 1914 YHE NORRIS PEN-JR? cu, Pnom LIIHOH wAsn/Norohl. n L

ALBERT MACHINE COMPANY, OF BELVIDERE, ILLENOIS, A

rs starts Parana orrion CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SEWING-IMACHINE FEEDING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters iatcnt.

Patented A 11". i 8, 1914,

Application filed December 7, 1909. Serial No. 531,848.

To all whom it may 0011mm Be it known that l, Arman? D. SMrrn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Belvidere, in the county of Boone and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machine Feeding: Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to improvements in sewing machines and more particularly to the feed bar or plate for feeding the work under the presser foot and the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved device of this character so constructed as to present a minimun gripping surface to the work when thin material is being fed, to permit the n'laterial to be readily turned and twisted without stretching or pulling the material, and an extended surface to grip the work when coarser or heavier material is being used and which will also permit the presser foot to rest flat upon the goods when the feed bar is lowered.

A further object is to provide an im proved device of this character which will be simple, durable and cheap in construction and etfective and eflicient in operation.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects. as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty, in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanyii'ig drawing, illustrating an embodiment of the invention, and in which-- Figure l is an end levation of the operating; mechanism for the feed bar showing a portion of the machine stand or base in section. Fig. .3 is a detail view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2 showing a portion of the presser foot and the manner in which the presser foot holds coarse material against the feed bar or plate. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the feed bar or plate. Fig. is a view similar to F 3 showing the manner in which thin material or goods is gripped by the feed bar.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, and in the present exemplification of the invention, the numeral 10 designates the top of the stand or support for the machine, '11 the pres.-:er fool: and 1:! the needle, all of which may be of the ordinary and well known cmlstruction.

The feed bar designated generally by the reference numeral 13 is preferably con structcd to form spaced parallel arms H- which are provided on their upper face with teeth. or serrations l5. Arranged between the arms l-l and spaced arms is another arm 'l() which is also provided on its upper face with teeth or serrations 17. This arm H5 is preferably some what sl'lorler than the arms ll, so that the needle aperture in in the plate 1%) may be located between the arms it and adjacent the free end of the arm 16. The plate 19 forms a closure for an aperture in the base platc and through which aperture access may be had to the shuttle mechanism. The plate is also provided with a slot 20 through which the teeth 17 on the arms 16 DI'OjQCt and is also provided with slots which are of a length somewhat greater than of slot 20 through whichthe teeth or serrations 15 on the arms l-lproject. The teeth or rations 17 on the arms 1(3 are slightly higher or deeper than the teeth or serra tions on the arms l lso that they will project above the plane of the tops of the teeth or serrations 13. All of these teeth or serrations; are preferably inclined toward the rear in the ordinary and well known manher so that when the goods is placed below the presser foot and the latter lowered, the feed bar 13 will grip the goods and feed the latter under the presser foot when the feed bar is operated.

Any suitable means may be provided for operating the feed b2 and in the present exen'iplilication of this invention, there is provided a cam which is secured to the main shaft 23 for rotation therewith. The feed bar 13 is supported upon a meu'lber 24 which is supported for sliding and pivotal movement upon a support 25. Connected with the support 25 is an arm 26 which projects over and rests upon the cam 22 so that when the shaft 23 is rotated in the ordinary and usual manner, the cam 22 will impart an up and down movement to the feed bar 13. The forward and backward movements of the feed bar is preferably accomplished by means of a link pivotally the member 2-1 and its free end preferably intermediate these 27 which is connected at one end as at 28 to rial against the teeth on this deflected as at 29, which end is adapted to be engaged by a member 30, which in turn is engaged by the cam 82, so that when the shaftis rotated the cam 32 will rock the member and move the feed bar 13 in. one direction against the tension of an elastic member or spring This spring 33 serves as a means for returning the feed bar. However the specific construction of the operating mechanism for the feed bar forms no part of the present invention. .Vith this improved construction, it will be seen that when the thin material as indicated at 34: in Fig. 5 is placed beneath the presser foot 11, and the presser foot lowered, the teeth or serrations 17 on the central arm or member 16 of the feed bar will engage the material and the presser foot will hold the matearm and will also support the presser foot so that the material will not come into contact with the teeth or serrations 15 on the side arms or members 14 of the feed bar. This construc tion will permitthe feed bar to feed the goods under the presser foot and will at the same time permit the thin material to be twisted or turned so as to be properly guided by the operator without the danger of the goods becoming drawn or puckered by the teeth or serrations 15 on the arms Ll. In other words the feed bar will present a minimum gripping snrfa :e to the thin material. hen coarser material is being operated upon, the presser foot 11 will force the material owing to its thickness into en gagement, not only with the teeth or serrations 17 on the arm 16 but also into engagement with the teeth or serrations 15 on the arms 14 so that all of the teeth or serrations will grip the material thereby presenting a niaxin'nnn gripping surface to the coarse material and when the coarse mate rial is being operated upon, it may be rca dily guided or twisted by the operator without danger of the teeth or serrations drawing or puchering the goods. It will also be a pparent that no matter, whether thin or coarse material is being operated upon the feed bar during its cycle of operation will be lowered so t iat the teeth or serrations on all of the arms will assume positions below the plate 19 and when in this position the lower face of the presser foot 11 being flat will rest flat upon the goods and hold the goods in position so that the feed bar will Copies of this patent may he obtained for l l l l l l l engage the goods and advance it, when the feed bar is again raised.

In order that the invention might be fully understood the details of the foregoing embodiment thereof have been thus specifically roughened surface for enga ing the material to feed the latter, a. portion of the roughened surface projecting beyond the plane of the remaining portion of the surface, and a single presser foot cooperating with the feed bar, said prcsser-foot having a flat face extending entirely across the width of and cooperating with the said roughened surface of the presserfoot, said fiat face being adapted to rest upon the material.

In a device of the character described, the combination of a feed bar provided with spaced arms rigidly secured thereto, each of said arms being provided on its upper face with gri n iing teeth, the extremities of the gripping teeth on one of the arms lying in a plane higher than the plane of the extremities of the gripping teeth on another of the arms, and a presser foot having a flat face, said presser foot cooperating with the teeth on the said arms and adaited to force the material into engagenient witn the high est teeth only, when thin material. is bring operated upon and to force the material into engagement with all of the teeth when coa material is being operated upon.

3. The combination of a work feed bar provided with a rongl'iened surface for en gaging only a face of tlie-n'iaterial and a presser foot cooperating with the feed bar and having a surface adapted to engage and upon a face of the material, the portion of said work feed bar surface intermediate its edges being raised slightly above the remaining portion of the surface, and the entire portion of the said surface of the prcsser-foot being disposed in the same plane.

in testimony whereof name to this specification, two subscribing witnesses, on this 3rd of December A. l). 1909.

ALBERT D. SMITH.

I have signed my in the presence of day itnesses E. L. GREENE, FRANK I. NEFF.

Washington, D. U. 

